Can a sleepless night awaken creativity?
Famous insomniacs include William Wordsworth, Emily Brontë, Vladimir Nabokov and Marcel Proust so could there be a positive side to sleeplessness, asks Marina Benjamin
Reasons to Stay Alive: how the suicidal Ibiza rave memoir became an album
Matt Haig’s powerful self-help book was a lifeline for Andy Burrows, one-time drummer with Razorlight. Now, with a little help from Kate Hudson, the two men have turned it into music
Matt Haig: ‘I wanted to end it all, but surviving and thriving is the lesson I pass on’
At 24, he wanted to kill himself. Now a novelist, he teaches the readers of his books – and his children – how to get through when the future looks bleak
Book clinic: which books can help with my daughter’s low self-esteem?
A selection of books, from Victoria Jamieson’s Roller Girl to Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, to help build confidence
Book clinic: what books can help me deal with depression and anxiety?
From Winnie-the-Pooh to a comforting tale by Marilynne Robinson, all kinds of literature can come to the rescue
Top 10 books about steroids
From Kathy Acker to Cordelia Fine, novelist Matthew Sperling introduces the best writing on a huge but barely acknowledged part of culture
Robin Ince’s top 10 books about the human condition
From Douglas Adams to Oliver Sacks, the standup comedian reveals some of the writers that have helped him try to work out what makes us tick
Nine Pints by Rose George review – all about blood
From leeches and quackery to scandal and superstition … an absorbing investigation into blood
I’m a Joke and So Are You by Robin Ince review – beyond a joke and into our brains
Comedian Robin Ince uses his profession as a springboard to an exploration of the human mind
Back to books: the joy of slow reading
Taking time over a book cuts stress, improves comprehension and promotes empathy